While she said she'd take Fiordo at his word, Holden said, When people leave
for a year, they don't usually come back unless they've been here for a long
time and are going to Norway or something.

Assistant Professor Richard Shafer said he wasn't surprised that Fiordo had
taken a leave.

I think everyone knew he was looking for other opportunities, he said. Shafer
declined to say whether he thought Fiordo would return.

It's been a tumultuous few years for the UND school.

Succeeded Rakow

Fiordo was named the director in May 1997. He succeeded Lana Rakow, who was
dismissed as the school's director a year earlier. Rakow had been hired in 1994
by administrators who hoped she would help the school regain the national
accreditation it lost in the early 1990s.

Rakow, who is still a professor at the school, sued UND and three
administrators. She alleged that the school had discriminated against her and
violated her right to free speech in firing her. A U.S. District Court jury
ruled in favor of UND in 1998. Rakow filed an appeal two months later.

Holden said she believed the awkward situation with Rakow was hard on Fiordo.

I think anytime there's a change in leadership the continuity is affected,
she said. But I think that given all the changes within the school in the past
several years, we have a strong faculty, and, as in the past, faculty will come
together and move the school forward.

I think it's a testament to the faculty that it will only be an
inconvenience.

It's to pursue a professional
opportunity, but he didn't give us a lot of detail about it, said Al Fivizzani,
interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

We approved it. There's little benefit in not approving it.

NO DETAILS

The e-mail didn't provide details about the opportunity, but one of the
school's professors said Fiordo was traveling to Atlanta to take a position with
the Georgia State University System.

A message at Fiordo's residence stated that his home telephone number is no
longer in service.

Fivizzani said UND would fill the position with an acting director. He said
Fiordo pledged to be available for consultation for whoever serves as acting
director.

Fivizzani said the request, made during the last week of July, while sudden
and an inconvenience, didn't represent a particularly difficult or bad situation
for UND.

We're still looking for some good things to happen, he said. We're looking to
expand programs. I have no great worries. I absolutely expect him to come back.

Doubt expressed

School of Communication faculty members, however, didn't sound like they
expected Fiordo would return after his unpaid leave of absence.

While she said she'd take Fiordo at his word, Holden said, When people leave
for a year, they don't usually come back unless they've been here for a long
time and are going to Norway or something.

Assistant Professor Richard Shafer said he wasn't surprised that Fiordo had
taken a leave.

I think everyone knew he was looking for other opportunities, he said. Shafer
declined to say whether he thought Fiordo would return.

It's been a tumultuous few years for the UND school.

Succeeded Rakow

Fiordo was named the director in May 1997. He succeeded Lana Rakow, who was
dismissed as the school's director a year earlier. Rakow had been hired in 1994
by administrators who hoped she would help the school regain the national
accreditation it lost in the early 1990s.

Rakow, who is still a professor at the school, sued UND and three
administrators. She alleged that the school had discriminated against her and
violated her right to free speech in firing her. A U.S. District Court jury
ruled in favor of UND in 1998. Rakow filed an appeal two months later.

Holden said she believed the awkward situation with Rakow was hard on Fiordo.

I think anytime there's a change in leadership the continuity is affected,
she said. But I think that given all the changes within the school in the past
several years, we have a strong faculty, and, as in the past, faculty will come
together and move the school forward.

I think it's a testament to the faculty that it will only be an
inconvenience.